Topped with fresh blackberries and whipped cream, this Christmas Pavlova wreath is the most delicious way to celebrate Christmas. Personalize the recipe and top the meringue wreath with your favorite in-season fruits.
My love for Pavlova does not depend upon a day or a holiday. I have such a sweet tooth for Pavlova dessert that I could eat this Australian (or New Zealand) invention every day.
In the summertime, I make our family favorite – Cinnamon Pavlova with fresh figs.
Closer to the fall, Plum Pavlova takes its turn. I also experiment with making cherry boozy Pavlova replacing plums with cherries.
Winter brings gingerbread in all its kinds: Gingerbread Pavlova, Gingerbread Cookie Ornaments, and the tastiest Gingerbread Loaf Cake.
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Pavlova wreath recipe
I find Pavlova shaping is so entertaining that I thought of why not to make Christmas Pavlova resembling a wreath one day.
I made meringue, arranged meringue balls along a circle, and baked. The rest was a classic step in the making Pavlova: I decorated it with whipped cream and fresh berries.
I experimented with the Christmas meringue wreath multiple times and found that the optimal number of meringue balls/rounds to shape a wreath is 8 to 10.
If you look at Donna Hay‘s meringue wreath, it is made with 12 heaped spoonfuls out of the 6 egg whites meringue. So, you are free to experiment.
Christmas Pavlova wreath recipe is easy to make. It requires active 15 to 20 minutes to whip up the meringue and 15 minutes to decorate the dessert. The rest is taken care of by the oven. So, it is a last-minute Christmas dessert!
How far ahead you can make Pavlova
The signature of the Pavlova dessert is having crisp meringue on the outside and a slightly sticky, marshmallow-like center on the inside.
Ideally, make the Pavlova base one day ahead and leave it in the oven overnight. The next day, decorate your Pavlova and serve.
You can also bake the Pavlova base a few days in advance and store it in an air-tight container at room temperature. Please, do not refrigerate the meringue base: it will absorb moisture and lose its crispness. On the day of serving, decorate Pavlova and serve.
How far in advance you can decorate Pavlova
To keep the crispiness of the Pavlova shell, it is recommended to assemble Pavlova just before serving.
To save time, whip the cream in a chilled bowl, cover it with plastic film and store in the fridge for up to one day.
At the moment of serving, decorate your Pavlova with the whipped cream and fruits of your choice.
Why this recipe works
- Christmas Pavlova wreath represents a decorative sign of Christmas.
- This effortless recipe is a last-minute holiday dessert.
- White Pavlova dessert perfectly fits the snowy Christmas holiday.
- It is gluten-free.
- Using fruit preserves and fresh fruit of your choice gives possibilities for creating your own Christmas Pavlova. To get inspired, have a look at these flavor combinations for Pavlova dessert.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results.
Egg whites: use an egg separator to separate egg whites from the yolks while eggs are chilled. Then let egg whites get to room temperature: it helps egg whites to reach their volume when beaten.
Sugar: use granulated or caster sugar. To facilitate whisking the meringue, process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to get superfine sugar.
White vinegar: it helps stabilize the whisked egg whites while making the meringue. You can replace it with the same amount of lemon juice or cream of tartar.
Corn starch: it is an essential ingredient to create a soft marshmallow center, a Pavlova dessert’s signature. You can replace it with potato starch.
Blackberry preserves: replace blackberry preserves and fresh blackberries with other berries/fruits of your choice.
Whipping cream: whisk the cold cream in a chilled metal bowl for the best result. Keep the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before you start making the cream.
Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use a store-bought powdered sugar.
Vanilla extract: Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is the most full-flavored one to use while baking. Replace it with an alcohol-free vanilla flavor if you prefer.
Fresh fruits: use a combination of fresh blackberries and kiwifruit or fruits of your choice. Cut stars out of kiwifruit using a small five-point star cookie cutter.
How to make Christmas Pavlova wreath
Preheat oven to 230 F/110 C. Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Mark an 8-inch/20 cm circle on parchment paper and flip parchment to ensure no marks transfer to the meringue.
To make the meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed.
Gradually add sugar, one spoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves, and the meringue is stiff, thick, and glossy.
Add cornflour, white wine vinegar, and whisk until just combined, about 20 to 30 seconds (photo 1).
Using a big spoon, dollop 8 to 10 meringue balls, close together to form a wreath shape (photo 2).
Place a few drops of blackberry preserves on top of meringue balls and draw the “eight,” using the back of a teaspoon (photo 3).
Bake at 230 F/110 C for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 210 F/100 C. Bake for a further 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn off the oven and allow Pavlova to cool, with the door closed, for about 3 to 4 hours (photo 4).
To decorate Pavlova, beat whipping cream, powdered (icing) sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form (photo 5).
Place the meringue wreath on a serving platter and top with the whipped cream. Decorate Pavlova with fresh blackberries, kiwifruit stars (photo 6), and sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar.
Expert tips
- Read these eight tips to make the perfect meringue before you start.
- Sprinkle Christmas meringue wreath with lime zest, if you desire.
- With the absence of fresh fruit, sprinkle the top of Pavlova with fruit preserves, freeze-dried berries, and chopped nuts.
Frequently asked questions
If you Pavlova turns brown after baking, it means that it was baked in the hot oven. You might need to check the oven temperature with an instant-read oven thermometer and to experiment. Next time, try to bake Pavlova at a slightly lower temperature, but a bit longer.
Pavlova usually cracks and collapses due to rapid temperature changes. To prevent it, the Pavlova base has to be cooled down slowly: leave your Pavlova in the oven overnight. If you are in a hurry, leave it in the oven for at least 3 to 4 hours.
While it is possible to freeze the Pavlova shell wrapped in plastic film for up to 1 month, I do not recommend doing this. The meringue will attract moisture and will lose its crispiness.
Store leftover Pavlova in the fridge and eat it within the next 24 hours.
Love meringue desserts? Try these next!
- French Meringue Cake Merveilleux
- Rosewater Meringue Roulade
- Giant Egg White Meringue Dessert
- Plum Pavlova With Red Wine Sauce
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
Please, note that the recipe was primarily developed using gram measurements for the high precision and then converted to the US volume and weight measurements. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy and the best results.
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Christmas Pavlova Wreath Recipe
Topped with fresh blackberries and whipped cream, this Christmas Pavlova wreath is the most delicious way to celebrate Christmas. Personalize the recipe and top the meringue wreath with your favorite in-season fruits.
- Total Time: 45 minutes (plus resting time)
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon blackberry preserves
For the decoration:
- 1 ¼ cups + 1 tablespoon (300 ml) whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered (icing) sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh blackberries
- 2 kiwifruit
- powdered (icing) sugar for dusting
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 230 F/110 C. Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Mark an 8-inch/20 cm circle on parchment paper and flip parchment to ensure no marks transfer to the meringue.
-
To make the meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed. Gradually add sugar, one spoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves, and the meringue is stiff, thick, and glossy. Add cornflour, white wine vinegar, and whisk until just combined about 20 to 30 seconds.
-
Using a big spoon, dollop 8 to 10 meringue balls close together to form a wreath shape. Place a few drops of blackberry preserves on top of meringue balls and draw the “eight,” using the back of a teaspoon. Bake at 230 F/110 C for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 210 F/100 C. Bake for a further 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow Pavlova to cool, with the door closed, for about 3 to 4 hours.
-
To decorate Pavlova, beat whipping cream, powdered (icing) sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Place the meringue wreath on a serving platter and top with the whipped cream. Decorate Pavlova with fresh blackberries, kiwifruit stars, and sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar.
Notes
- Read these eight tips to make the perfect meringue before you start.
- Use fresh, room-temperature egg whites – this helps egg whites to reach their volume when beaten.
- To facilitate whisking the meringue, process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to get superfine sugar.
- Replace blackberry preserves and fresh blackberries with other berries/fruits of your choice.
- Cut stars out of kiwifruit using a small five-point star cookie cutter.
- Sprinkle Christmas meringue wreath with lime zest, if you desire.
- With the absence of fresh fruit, sprinkle the top of Pavlova with fruit preserves, freeze-dried berries, and chopped nuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 49 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.9 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
Keywords: Christmas pavlova wreath, meringue wreath, Pavlova wreath, Christmas pavlova recipe, Christmas pavlova
The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.
The recipe was originally published on December 24, 2018. It has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
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